Yankees: Clint Frazier rips Yankees on his way out after signing new deal with Cubs

New York Yankees, Clint Frazier
Apr 20, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Clint Frazier (77) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees designated outfielder Clint Frazier for assignment on Nov. 19 and cut him days later; the move brought to an end his tremulous time with the Yankees. Frazier, now 27 years old, took a one-year $1.5 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. In usual Clint Frazier form, he is now taking shots at the Yankees.

Many believe that Frazier was not handled correctly by the Yankees in his five years with the team. Still, if you look at his time with the Yankees, his personality was never a fit for the Bronx, as evidenced by his on and off snarky comments about the team and his immature behavior. At one point after a poor game in the field, Frazier refused to speak to the media, while another time when he was sent down to Scranton for poor play, he wiped his social media of any mention of the Yankees.

Last season with the Yankees, in just 66 games, he had a .186 batting average, five homers, and 15 RBIs. Frazier has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career but has posted some good numbers at times, notably in 2019, when he racked up a .267 average with 12 homers and 38 RBIs.

During 2020, Aaron Boone made him a daily part of the lineup in the second half. With all that behind him and being given an Opening Day job, Frazier set his sights on new goals, to become an impact player and an All-Star. There was no question that he had the talent, and possibly playing every day, he could become a superstar.

“The goal is to be an impact player, one that shows what I can finally do over the course of 162 games,” Frazier said in a Zoom call with reporters. “I have goals in my head of what I want to accomplish and I do think that they’re pretty fair goals. If I accomplish those, I do think that there’s a good chance that I could find myself on the All-Star ballot if I produce the way that I hope that I can.”

Regardless of his high opinion of himself, the reality is that his health again impacted his play. Before the 2021 season was half over, Frazier came down with mysterious dizziness and vision problems that kept him of the field for the rest of the season. At one point, he started rehab, but again vision problems knocked him down. Many analysts felt it might have something to do with his injury when he smashed into a wall headfirst earlier in his career. Some said he might never play again.

Just as mysterious is his unexplained complete recovery in the postseason, nevertheless, the Chicago Cubs are taking a one-year chance with Frazier.

One Twitter user wrote that he was glad the outfielder was no longer with the Yankees, Frazier had a simple response:
“so am i,” Frazier wrote, followed by four crying laughing emojis.

In one of his childish moves, in 2017, he wanted the Yankees to un-retire Micky Mantle’s number 7, so he could have it. Now a Cub that has come up again. Frazier wrote that he will be “continuing to wear #77 as well — I requested #7, but unfortunately, it was taken, marking that as the first time I ever asked for that number.” Frazier denied he ever asked for Mantle’s number. Also, in his tweets, he made fun of the Yankee uniform and stated that he would be leaving his razor at home.

Yankees fans wish Frazier nothing but the best with his new club, but at the same time will be watching to see how he acts with the Cubs when things don’t go his way.